Feed-trough



(No Model.)

w. w. SIMOOE. FEED TROUGH.

No. 555,290. Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

MZMWM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM IV. SIMCOE, OF ENSLEY, MICHIGAN.

FEED-TROUGH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,290, dated February 25, 1896. Application filed August 16, 1895. Serial No. 559,563. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W'ILLIAM TV. SIMCOE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ensley, Newaygo county, State of Michigan, have invented and produced a new and useful inventionto wit, an Automatic Self-Locking Swing-Door for Use in Feeding Hogs-of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in feeding-troughs, especially for hogs,and it has for its object to hold off the hogs while placing the feed in the trough; and it consists of the detailed construction and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter more fully described and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of my feedin g-trough with the guard swung toward the inside of the trough, and the locking device therefor, also represented in dotted lines in its unlocked position, as when the guard is in its normal position. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof, and Fig. 3 is a detached view of the guard-locking device.

In the embodiment of my invention I suspend, so as to stand normally in a perpendicular position in a suitable upright frame A, a guard or door-like contrivance B, preferably composed ofboards secured to crosspieces, the upper one of which is pivoted or hinged to the top cross-bar of said frame by interconnected eyes or staples a a, as shown, or by other suitable means, as will be readily appreciated. The upright frame Ais secured to a feeding-trough O of the character herein referred to, the top cross-bar of which frame, from which, as above stated, the guard B is suspended, is about in vertical alignment with the outer edge or side of the trough to permit of the suspending of said guard in the position aforesaid.

The locking device for the guard or doorlike contrivance B comprises a bail or lever D, with the inner ends of its side pieces or arms freely connected or pivoted, preferably by staples or eyes, to the lower cross-piece of said guard B, and the connecting-piece or hand-bar between said side pieces or arms adapted to be readily grasped by the hand and to extend slightly beyond the outer edge or side of said trough.

The bail 0r lever D has its arms or side freely connected, preferably by staples or 7 eyes 0, to the outer top edge of the trough 0, whereby said bail or lever D and links D when in a lowered or horizontal position, occupied when the guard is swung toward the inner edge or side of the trough to hold oil the hogs while placing the feed in said trough, are interlocked to effectually prevent the hogs releasing the guard when set or swung into the position aforesaid. Also when the guard is not in use or standing in its normal perpendicular position, the bail or lever then automatically assuming an upright position, taking it out of the way, will thus be retained and looked as against accidentally falling, by the interlocking action between said bail or lever and links until the guard is pushed or swung inward toward the inner edge or side of the trough.

- All that is required to secure or keep the hogs away from the trough is to touch or sufficiently push the guard to swing it inward when the automatically-interlocking lever or bail and links will drop to a horizontal position, effectually locking the guard toward the inner edge of the trough. The feed can now be placed in the trough without any molestation whatever from the hogs in the pen or inclosure. v

In order to return the guard to its first or original position it is only necessary to just lift the outer end of the lever or bail, when it, with the links, will automatically fold up vertically against the guard, out of the way, and there be locked in place, as already stated.

Among other advantages of my invention it is mentioned that a great waste of feed is avoided which would otherwise result from the interference of the hogs with the feed while being poured or placed into the trough; also, the adaptability of the device or invention to an ordinary feeding-trough at a nominal expense.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the guard or door IO with depressions extendingfrom the ends toward the middle and the links with their inner ends pivoted to said arms about at the point of maximum depression and their outer ends connected to the trough substantially as set forth.

XVILLIAM XV. SIMCOE.

lVitnesses:

S. O. SCOTT, JAMEs SiMcoE. 

